Answers elusive after Edison Mall chaos

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Multiple Lee County Sheriff’s Deputies and Fort Myers Police Department officers were present Wednesday night at Edison Mall after people reported they heard gunshots. Law enforcement found no evidence of gunfire.

FORT MYERS, Fla. — Police didn’t give any more clues Thursday about precisely what sparked a panicked Wednesday night scene at the Edison Mall, which was on lockdown after several shoppers reported hearing a gun go off inside.

No evidence of shots being fired or a shooting was found, Fort Myers police said Wednesday.

Still, confusion reigned as some shoppers hid while others tried to get away as fast as they could. It evoked a comparison to the panic that followed the 2015 shooting at the downtown Zombicon festival that left one dead and five injured. And for some, Wednesday night’s incident adds to the perception that the city isn’t safe.

“I’ve lived in Fort Myers about two years now, [and] I’m always on edge,” said Johnson Marce, who went to the mall Thursday. “If I’m outside of the city, if I’m in Estero or Naples, yeah, my guard is down, but in Fort Myers I absolutely do not feel safe at all.”

The mall heightened security two weeks ago to compensate for more foot traffic as the holidays approach, said Ruben Irizarry, the mall’s general manager. But an additional reinforcement wasn’t made Thursday, when the parking lot was jammed with pre-Christmas shoppers proceeding as though nothing happened.

“Edison Mall is committed to the safety and security of its shoppers, retailers and employees,” Irizarry said in a statement. “We are working closely with the Fort Myers Police Department as they investigate this isolated incident.”

Fort Myers resident Crystal Gilbert, a mother, was among the throng who turned out to shop at the mall Thursday, but she admits she did so with some hesitation.

“It’s hard to comprehend this stuff, and it’s very sad to think that this stuff goes on in your own home, hometown,” Gilbert said. “And bringing your kids out, it’s very, very scary.”

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